Cloth wipes - how do you use them???

[Doodlebug]

Ok, I confess, I'm a cloth anything virgin! I have cloth breastpads (thanks Maz!) that I love. Have bought cloth nappies and some pre-folds (haven't quite brought myself to use them yet. I WILL start soon! )

But... I'm wanting to use cloth wipes as well. Poor ds2 keeps getting a red raw little butt, I have been really careful with my diet and watching what I eat so I don't think that's it. But I thought I'd go the cloth wipes and see if that helps clear it. That, and it's going to be a whole lot cheaper! I forgot how expensive wipes are!!!!

Anyway..... how do you use them? Do you wet them first? Use a cleaning solution? Where would I get cleaning solution? Do you use them to wipe up all the poo? If so then how do you 'clean' the wipes or do they just go straight into the machine? How many do I need? Are there different types?

So many questions!! Thanks for reading!

[Arimeh]

Haha so many questions!!

The way it works in this house - I wet the wipes with water when the kids need them. I use approximately 2 wipes per poo, a big one to get most of it off in one big wipe, and then the smaller one to get the residue.

Then I rinse them when i do the poo nappies, and chuck them in the washing machine with them. Too easy.

I tried a wipes solution, but it didn't wet the wipes enough to wipe off the poo - so I gave up and just went back to water. When I go out I take a little sippy cup thing of water with me to use for the wipes.

[~Kim~]

Yep same as Mel, we just use water and rinse at we go. I have some of the solution that is sold and you put in a foaming bottle but exactly like Mel, I found it didn't do much - water was better.
In another thread I posted in the girls raved about it (if you want info google foaming wipes solution) and they said it made everything smell better, but if i have to buy disposable wipes I buy scent free anyway so that was not an issue for me

[Winter]

I have a bucket next to the change mat & I just use a pump pack of sorbolene to wet the cloths - i use a mix of cheap face washers and some terry / flannel combos that MIL made for me - and chuck them in the bucket when I'm done. They go straight into the machine, I don't bother rinsing & they come out perfectly clean. You'll never go back to disposable wipes once you get your own system sorted, cloth wipes really are the bees-knees!

[Bloom]

Variation on a theme here: I spray my cheapo face washers with a mix of water, touch of baby wash (for scent) and squirt of sorbelene, that is in a spray bottle. 1 wipe for poo and 1 wipe for reside. I just spray as I need to. I don't rinse them, just chuck them in the nappy bucket (tho I do put my nappies on a pre-wash cycle if there has been a poo).

[helle]

i use flannels... brown ones XD DS was getting a little pink bum from the commercial wipes, too
Just wet them with water and away you go! I chuck mine in some nappy san before i wash them tho... just to sanitise... I think that is personal preference tho!
HEAPS cheaper! I have definately noticed the difference in my pocket

[Doodlebug]

Thanks so much for all your replies! I've now ordered myself some new funky cloth wipes from Maz!!!

Dh is at work tomorrow and ds1 is at kindy, I think it's time to play with my nappies!!!!

[Stazie]

I also use Sobelene. Just a big pump back that I keep near my change table. I use toilet paper first with poos and flush it down the loo with the poo.

[Loveinamist]

I use the cloth wipes that are one side terry and one side fleece. I have a spray bottle that I fill with water and I spray water on the terry side and use that to do the first wipe if it is just a wee and then turn over to the fleece side to pat his bottom dry. If it is a poo (still runny breastmilk poos here) I use two wipes. They go straight into the nappy bucket with the nappy and get rinsed and then washed with them in my washing machine. I have about 12 wipes and with washing nappies every two days, I have never got to the bottom of my wipes pile.